LEARNING TO SEE

A great scientist is one who is a good observer. Observation is a critical skill in many fields including economics, medicine, engineering, politics, audit, etc. Observation is fundamental to problem solving. Observation can also save your marriage. If you can see that your partner isn’t happy about something you can rectify it before things go out of hand.

Building a business requires keen observation skills. For instance you need to see opportunities where others don’t see them. You need to see problems before they  happen. You need to see how to improve things.

Just because your eyes are open does not mean you are actually seeing. Seeing begins with intention and mindfulness of the present moment. If you are looking for something you will find it. When you decide to see something your brain fine tunes your senses to be conscious of the thing you’re looking for. This is commonly called the reticular activating system (RAS). It’s like your eyes and mind become a laser guided missile which will not rest until it finds and locks onto its target.  When you focus on something, that focus instantly creates ideas and thought patterns you wouldn’t have had otherwise. 

This is why it is important to have clear goals in life. If you really want to build a big business you will begin to see ways of making this happen. If you really want to be healthy you will find ways to do this. If you are clear about how much money you really want you will begin to see ways of acquiring it. If you really desire a good marriage you will figure it out.

One way to practice your observation skills is to look for something specific on your usual commute. For instance look for red cars. You will be surprised how many red cars you will see. Eventually start looking for business opportunities and they will be everywhere you look.

Learning to see is a great skill which can be acquired by anyone willing to put in the time.